Since its implementation at Fieldston, “Meatless Monday” has been a constant source of debate within the community. Some students and faculty are in strong favor of this effort to reduce our meat consumption, while others resent it, wanting the same food options on Mondays as the rest of the week. In the past, FLIK Dining and Fieldston have made changes to Meatless Monday in an attempt to enthuse the student body, namely changing the event to “Less Meat Monday” last year, in which the main dish was still vegetarian but cold cuts and salad bar meats were still available.
However, until recently, many remained unsatisfied with Monday lunches. According to a survey taken by Fieldston’s “Green Dean” Howie Waldman and FSG Co-Presidents Chris Walker and Sammy Koppelman, hundreds of students spent their Monday lunches either making sandwiches or going off campus to eat food containing meat, completely defeating the purpose of the entire effort.
In response, they, along with Jared Dauman (VI), Bill Guerrero, Director of Related Campus Services, and FLIK, worked together to create a meatless model that encourages students to take a break from eating meat in an effort to, as Koppelman says, “make meatless lunch-days both more environmentally beneficial and tasty.” On February 19th, students received an email informing them of the changes that were to begin on March 3rd: meatless days will be scattered throughout the week and include only the eight most popular meatless meals, such as baked mac and cheese and “breakfast for lunch.”
Senior Jared Dauman played a major role in establishing the new model. He stated that his job was “to act as a coordinator and compromiser between the various opinions surrounding the Meatless Monday debate.” That meant finding a common ground between FSG, other students, Mr. Waldman, Mr. Guerrero, and FLIK. He then designed the recent changes, ensuring that everyone involved was satisfied with the results, including both the middle school and upper school principals. Those involved with the Meatless Monday discussion recognize Dauman’s huge role in this process. “Jared deserves a lot of credit for working so thoughtfully with all interested parties,” Mr. Waldman recently said.
Most students and faculty involved in this decision seem happy with its results. Mr. Waldman feels that the changes will be successful, saying, “Together I think these two initiatives, moving ‘Less Meat Day’ around, and making the entrees on these days more palatable to students will help Fieldston reduce its use of meat better than the old model.” Mr. Guerrero appreciates the manner in which the decision was reached, stating that he is “very supportive of student driven initiatives that meet the student body needs.”
However, only time will tell whether or not the Fieldson community will embrace these changes. Dauman has received lots of positive feedback since he made an announcement listing the new lunch provisions at a recent school assembly, but it is impossible to predict the reaction of a hard-to-please Fieldston community. However, if reactions are negative, there is room for further changes. Dauman, for his part, “will be actively listening for ways we can continue to improve in the future.”
